<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SeAAttle:
A question for the Europeans (do not mean to lump all of you in one category, but would be interested in the standards in different countries):
When the service is included in the bill (ie, added to the total), and you feel the service was really bad, do you just pay it or do you ask for a reduction? I would probably do the former and be a bit steamed about it.
One other question: when the credit card slip has no line for service/tip, can one assume that it has been included? This came up often on a recent trip to Italy and I was a bit unsure. A few times, after really excellent service, I left a tip in cash on the table.</font>
Offshore European replying ....
If the service is really bad then yes, you can ask for the service charge to be deleted. They have no legal right to demand it. You will need the restaurant manager to achieve this of course. All tips in such places, in Britain at least, are generally pooled, so it doesn't really impact on your own waiter anyway. The pool often extends to the kitchen and others. I only use this where any reasonable place would not charge me for the item in the first place.
In France it is different; you may actually find menus stating that all gratuties added are paid "directly to the waiter". Do not be hesitant to ask the waiter if service is included ("Service compris?" in French). They are used to it and will always answer directly yes or no. I find it's different in US establishments where it is included.
Regarding the credit card slip being incomplete, no this is no guide. You must look at the menu (often a little line at the bottom) or the bill to tell you that x% will be/has been added. In addition there will sometimes be "cover", which is a flat say £2 per person added. That definitely does not make its way back to the waiter.
Tip lines on credit card slips are an Americanism which is slowly creeping across Europe. The merchants certainly used to be required to complete the slip fully as part of their agreement with the CC company; I don'tknow how that got changed. This is why Europeans visiting the US often leave the slip incomplete; they are not really used to it yet. The "elegant" way in Europe is to pay the bill by card (no tip if a tip line) and then tip the waiter, in cash, on the dish underneath the credit card slip.
For many years in the dining cars on British trains the bill came with a huge red "Gratuities not included" printed diagonally it. It's finally gone now. (I know this is an FF board but I've sneaked in a bit about railways there).